Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engagestudents during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?
I observed in a 9th grade Earth Science class. I observed three periods, and the start of each class was about the same. When class was beginning, my CT was at her desk greeting the students as they walked in. Students were talking, but were at their desks in the classroom. I noticed instantly that as the teacher was greeting the students she was also looking over what she would be doing with the students that day while at her desk at the font of the room. My CT did not have an agenda up for the students, and although they were chatting, I could tell that the cooperating teacher had earned respect from the students. When she talked they listened. When the bell rang, my CT still let the students talk a bit and get settled. When she started speaking the students quickly quieted down. There was no discussion of homework from the night before. The teacher asked the students to take out their labs that they had been working on . These labs were about the concept of force,mass and acceleration. This lab was to be a formal lab report. She quickly reviewed the method for the graphing and talked about rise over run. She explained which axis stood for the rise and the run. I say she explained it, but she actually had the students answer the questions as she was guiding them to understand the purpose of the graphs. The graphs were representing F=ma. After reviewing these concepts she explained what the students needed to do and pointed out where in the room the materials were that students would need to complete the assignments. Students were allowed to work with their lab partners while they were plotting their data and answering questions.
I do feel that the approach is consistent with how students learn. Although the teacher did not post a visual on the board with the students to show the days agenda she did verbalize it with the students. All of the students were with her and had all appropriate materials on their desks. If I were to be running the classroom, I would need to post the agenda and have less down time with the students. My CT has a working relationship with her students that was already developed at the beginning of the year, and I would need to be more prepared. My CT used previous knowledge of slope that was covered in her class as well as past math classes to show a relationship with a concept that they were learning in class with Newton's law of F=ma and the relationship between the three variables. When students worked on their graphs and questions, many of their own questions were answered as they assessed the material. I could almost notice when they were reading intently, but then had a moment of epiphany. Other students did ask questions of the teacher, and she was able to help students one on one and in small groups while the other students were working. Here she could really explain to them the problems they were encountering by explaining and using the graph as a visual. I also noticed that some of the students really took responsibility for their own learning and had learned to self monitor themselves where other students were checked on by the teacher. I believe she was scaffolding the students who are at different academic levels in monitoring their learning. I believe my CT knows her students, and will monitor their learning where it is necessary. The activity was designed for the students to really understand the concept of Newton's second law and the relationship between the variables. According to the article that we red at the beginning of the semester, my CT's approach was consistent with how children learn. I saw my teacher engage the students in prior understanding with the slope and apply it to the lab material. I saw my CT use the role of factual knowledge in conceptual framework of understanding by graphing the lab data and interpreting it. I also observed her allowing the students opportunity to monito their own learning by attempting the activity on their own and being available for them for questions.
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engagestudents during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?I observed in a 9th grade Earth Science class. I observed three periods, and the start of each class was about the same. When class was beginning, my CT was at her desk greeting the students as they walked in. Students were talking, but were at their desks in the classroom. I noticed instantly that as the teacher was greeting the students she was also looking over what she would be doing with the students that day while at her desk at the font of the room. My CT did not have an agenda up for the students, and although they were chatting, I could tell that the cooperating teacher had earned respect from the students. When she talked they listened. When the bell rang, my CT still let the students talk a bit and get settled. When she started speaking the students quickly quieted down. There was no discussion of homework from the night before. The teacher asked the students to take out their labs that they had been working on . These labs were about the concept of force,mass and acceleration. This lab was to be a formal lab report. She quickly reviewed the method for the graphing and talked about rise over run. She explained which axis stood for the rise and the run. I say she explained it, but she actually had the students answer the questions as she was guiding them to understand the purpose of the graphs. The graphs were representing F=ma. After reviewing these concepts she explained what the students needed to do and pointed out where in the room the materials were that students would need to complete the assignments. Students were allowed to work with their lab partners while they were plotting their data and answering questions.
I do feel that the approach is consistent with how students learn. Although the teacher did not post a visual on the board with the students to show the days agenda she did verbalize it with the students. All of the students were with her and had all appropriate materials on their desks. If I were to be running the classroom, I would need to post the agenda and have less down time with the students. My CT has a working relationship with her students that was already developed at the beginning of the year, and I would need to be more prepared. My CT used previous knowledge of slope that was covered in her class as well as past math classes to show a relationship with a concept that they were learning in class with Newton's law of F=ma and the relationship between the three variables. When students worked on their graphs and questions, many of their own questions were answered as they assessed the material. I could almost notice when they were reading intently, but then had a moment of epiphany. Other students did ask questions of the teacher, and she was able to help students one on one and in small groups while the other students were working. Here she could really explain to them the problems they were encountering by explaining and using the graph as a visual. I also noticed that some of the students really took responsibility for their own learning and had learned to self monitor themselves where other students were checked on by the teacher. I believe she was scaffolding the students who are at different academic levels in monitoring their learning. I believe my CT knows her students, and will monitor their learning where it is necessary. The activity was designed for the students to really understand the concept of Newton's second law and the relationship between the variables. According to the article that we red at the beginning of the semester, my CT's approach was consistent with how children learn. I saw my teacher engage the students in prior understanding with the slope and apply it to the lab material. I saw my CT use the role of factual knowledge in conceptual framework of understanding by graphing the lab data and interpreting it. I also observed her allowing the students opportunity to monito their own learning by attempting the activity on their own and being available for them for questions.